OmniVision to Supply iPad FaceTime Cameras

By Jeff Gamet

Oct 29th, 2010 11:47 AM EDT

Apple’s second generation iPad will most likely have a front-facing camera with FaceTime video chat support, and OmniVision will be the company supplying the needed camera sensors, according to the Detweiler Fenton investment firm.

Along with a front facing-camera, the next generation iPad will allegedly include a 5 MP rear-facing camera based on OmniVision’s CMOS sensors, too.

Apple’s next iPad will likely include a FaceTime camera

Barron’sreports that Detweiler is estimating Apple will build 2.5 million iPads with cameras during the first calendar quarter of 2011. If true, that would account for about a third of OmniVision’s CMOS chip sensors since the company already provides chips for the iPhone.

Apple introduced the iPad in April 2010, and has continually seen strong sales ever since. The current version of Apple’s multimedia tablet device doesn’t, however, include a camera which means users can’t take advantage of the FaceTime video chat feature that’s already available on the iPhone 4.

Apple also added FaceTime support to the fourth generation iPod touch, and recently released a beta version of FaceTime for Mac OS X. Adding a front-facing camera to the next generation iPad would bring the tablet into the FaceTime game, and since OmniVision is already supplying camera chips to Apple it seems reasonable that the company would handle the iPad’s camera chips, too.